Candidates settle on 6 debates

The two finalists for San Diego mayor — City Council members David Alvarez and Kevin Faulconer — have agreed to participate in six televised debates ahead of the likely February runoff election.

It will be a far less demanding schedule than the candidates endured ahead of the Nov. 19 special election which included more than 30 forums and debates during an eight-week period. The dates and locations for the debates won’t be selected until late December and none will occur until after Jan. 1, giving voters a break from campaign rhetoric during the holiday season.

Alvarez and Faulconer issued a joint statement on the debate format Monday, asking news organizations and other groups to submit debate requests by Dec. 13 for consideration.

“Kevin and I differ on a number of issues, but we can agree that voters deserve to hear about our records and our vision to lead San Diego,” Alvarez said. “Committing to these debates focused on major issues affecting our city will give voters a clear sense of where we stand.”

Faulconer said, “I’m looking forward to joining David for a robust discussion about the issues that matter to voters. San Diegans expect transparency and openness from their next mayor, and I’m confident that these debates will provide a forum to help residents decide who is the best choice to lead our great city.”

The debate requirements include that each is broadcast by a major media outlet, including at least one by a Spanish-language organization. They are asking that debates focus on civic issues such as open government, the U.S.-Mexico border, city finances, the environment, neighborhoods, community planning and the economy.

Meanwhile the county Registrar of Voters is nearly done tallying the remaining ballots from last week’s election. Faulconer remains on top with 42.3 percent followed by Alvarez with 27 percent and Qualcomm executive Nathan Fletcher with 24.2 percent. The gap between Alvarez and Fletcher continues to grow as more ballots are counted and now stands at 6,776 votes with 700 mail and provisional ballots still to be counted as of Monday afternoon.